Print inspection system and program

Abstract

To provide a technology that can easily identify inspection NG / OK pages from an actual printed output when only some pages in a print job are to be inspected.SOLUTION: A print inspection device 12 includes a processor that inspects the quality of printed matter and a display device. The processor compares and inspects a scanned image from a printing device 14 obtained by scanning a printed matter of a page to be inspected among a plurality of pages constituting a job with a reference image from a print server 10 created by using rasterized data of a page to be inspected, displays a scanned image of the page to be inspected when displaying inspection results on the display device, and displays information indicating that they are not subject to inspection together with a dummy page that is a substitute for the scanned image for pages that are not subject to inspection.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a print inspection system and a program. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 describes an information processing device that can inspect both sides of a sheet of paper even if an image is printed on only one side of the paper. This information processing device inspects the quality of a printed matter based on a comparison between a scanned image of the printed matter and a reference image, and includes a first determination means that determines whether the printed matter is double-sided or single-sided, and an inspection means that, if it is determined that the printed matter is double-sided, determines the quality of the printed matter using the scanned images of both sides, and, if it is determined that the printed matter is single-sided, switches between using the scanned images of only one side or both sides to inspect the quality of the printed matter.

[0003] Patent Document 2 describes an inspection device that can exclude printed materials on paper types that are not suitable for inspection by an automatic inspection function from inspection targets without imposing a burden on the user, such as prior registration, and can handle cases where pages to be excluded from inspection targets change when the paper type is changed during product printing. This inspection device has an inspection unit that inspects images by comparing a scanned image generated by reading an image formed on paper based on a print job with a correct image that serves as a reference for image inspection, and a discrimination unit that determines whether a page is to be inspected or not based on the type of paper on which each image is formed, based on the print settings of the print job. The inspection unit inspects images of pages that have been determined by the discrimination unit to be inspected, and does not inspect images of pages that have been determined not to be inspected.

[0004] Patent Document 3 describes an inspection system that can check the print results of all output materials, including pages not subject to inspection. This inspection system includes an inspection unit that compares a read image obtained by reading a sheet on which an image is formed based on a job with a reference image prepared in advance to inspect the read image, an inspection target setting unit that sets pages to be inspected and pages not to be inspected for the job, an inspection control unit that controls the inspection unit to inspect the pages to be inspected and not inspect the pages not subject to inspection based on the settings in the inspection target setting unit, and an inspection report creation unit that creates an inspection report including read images of all pages of the job, including pages not subject to inspection. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2021-78083 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-120160 [Patent Document 3] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-172028 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] When an inspection system for inspecting the quality of printed materials inspects only a portion of the pages in a job, if the inspection results display only those pages that are subject to inspection, the page structure and number of pages in the actual printed output will not match those in the inspection results, making it difficult to identify pages that have passed or failed the inspection from the actual printed output.

[0007] The present invention aims to provide a technology that can easily identify pages that have passed inspection from the actual printed output when only a portion of the pages in a job are inspected in an inspection system that inspects the quality of printed matter. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] A first aspect of the present invention is a printed matter inspection system comprising a processor for inspecting the quality of printed matter and a display device, wherein the processor reads and executes a program to inspect a page that is to be inspected out of multiple pages that make up a job by comparing a scanned image obtained by scanning the printed matter of the page that is to be inspected with a reference image created using rasterized data of the page that is to be inspected, and when displaying the inspection results on the display device, the scanned image is displayed for the page that is to be inspected, and for pages that are not to be inspected, a dummy page that substitutes for the scanned image is displayed along with information indicating that the page is not to be inspected.

[0009] A second aspect is the print inspection system according to the first aspect, wherein the dummy page includes an image created using rasterized data of a page that is not the target of inspection.

[0010] A third aspect is the print inspection system according to the first aspect, wherein the dummy page is a blank page.

[0011] A fourth aspect is the print inspection system according to the first aspect, wherein the dummy page is a page of the same color as the paper of the page not to be inspected.

[0012] A fifth aspect is the print inspection system according to the first aspect, wherein the dummy page includes a preprint image.

[0013] A sixth aspect is a printed matter inspection system according to any of the first to fifth aspects, wherein the processor displays the reference image and the scanned image as a pair for pages that are the subject of inspection, and displays the dummy page as a pair of the reference image and the scanned image for pages that are not the subject of inspection.

[0014] A seventh aspect is the printed matter inspection system according to any one of the first to sixth aspects, wherein the processor displays a symbolic graphic as the information indicating that the printed matter is not subject to inspection.

[0015] An eighth aspect is the print inspection system according to any one of the first to sixth aspects, wherein the processor displays the dummy page in gray as information indicating that the dummy page is not subject to inspection.

[0016] A ninth aspect is a printed matter inspection system according to any one of the first to eighth aspects, wherein the processor further inputs an operation instruction from a user and changes the display format of the dummy page in response to the operation instruction.

[0017] A tenth aspect is a program that causes a computer to execute the steps of: comparing a scanned image obtained by scanning a printed matter of a page that is to be inspected out of multiple pages that make up a job with a reference image created using rasterized data of the page that is to be inspected; and, when displaying the inspection results that are the results of the inspection on a display device, displaying the scanned image for the page that is to be inspected, and displaying information indicating that the page that is not to be inspected is not to be inspected, along with a dummy page that is a substitute for the scanned image. [Effects of the Invention]

[0018] According to the first to tenth aspects, when an inspection system that inspects the quality of printed matter inspects only some pages in a job, it is possible to easily identify pages that have passed inspection from the actual printed output.

[0019] According to the third to fifth aspects, it is possible to display the image in a manner that matches the actual printed output.

[0020] According to the sixth to eighth aspects, it is possible to more reliably identify pages that are not to be inspected.

[0021] According to the ninth aspect, it is further possible to easily and reliably identify dummy pages. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0022] [Figure 1] 1 is a system configuration diagram of a printed matter inspection system according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram of a print inspection device according to an embodiment. [Figure 3] 1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a print inspection device according to an embodiment. [Figure 4] This is a schematic diagram (part 1) showing the relationship between the actual printout, the reference image, and the scanned image. [Figure 5] This is a schematic diagram (part 2) showing the relationship between the actual printout, the reference image, and the scanned image. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of a screen of a display device according to an embodiment. [Figure 7] 1 is a processing flowchart of an embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a screen in a first modified example. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a screen in a second modified example. [Figure 10] FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a screen in a fourth modified example. [Figure 11] FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a screen in a fifth modified example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0023] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0024] FIG. 1 shows a system configuration diagram of a print inspection system according to this embodiment. The print inspection system includes a print server 10, a print inspection device 12, and a printing device 14. The print server 10, the print inspection device 12, and the printing device 14 are connected by a communication line to enable data transmission and reception. The communication line may be wired or wireless, and may be a public line or a dedicated line. An example of the communication line is a LAN (local area network), but is not limited to this.

[0025] The print server 10 supplies the print data of the print job to the printing device 14. The print server 10 also generates reference image data from the rasterization results of the print job separately from the print data, and supplies the reference image data to the print inspection device 12. Rasterization processing is well known, and is a process of generating raster data (image data) by performing drawing processing based on data in an intermediate format.

[0026] The printing device 14 receives print data from the print server 10 and prints on paper based on the print data. The printed matter is discharged from an output tray of the printing device 14. The printing device 14 has a built-in scanner, which scans the printed matter to generate scanned image data and supplies the scanned image data to the print inspection device 12.

[0027] The configuration of the printing device 14 is publicly known, but will be briefly described below. The printing device 14 prints an image on a printing medium such as paper based on a job (print job) acquired from the print server 10. Here, a print job is a processing unit of a printing operation instructed by a single print instruction.

[0028] The printing device 14 includes a storage unit, a transport unit, a printing unit, a discharge unit, and a control unit. The storage unit has the function of storing paper sheets to be supplied to the printing unit, and is composed of a storage tray on which the paper sheets are stacked.

[0029] The transport unit has the function of transporting the paper stored in the storage unit to the printing unit. The transport unit is composed of, for example, a delivery roll that delivers the paper from the storage unit and multiple pairs of transport rolls arranged along the transport path from the storage unit to the printing unit.

[0030] The printing unit has a function of printing an image on paper. The printing unit prints an image on paper, for example, by electrophotography. That is, the printing unit prints an image on paper through the processes of charging, exposing, developing, transferring, and fixing. The printing unit may also have a function of inverting and transporting paper to print images on both sides of the paper.

[0031] The discharge section is a portion where printed paper is discharged. The discharge section is made up of, for example, multiple sections arranged one above the other, and the paper is discharged to a section specified in the print job.

[0032] The control unit controls the operation of each unit of the printing device 14. In this embodiment, the control unit controls the operation of the built-in scanner, and for pages that are set as inspection targets among all pages that make up a job, the control unit turns on the operation of the built-in scanner to scan the printed matter printed by the printing unit and generate scanned image data. Also, for pages that are set as not to be inspected among all pages that make up a job, the control unit turns off the operation of the built-in scanner and does not generate scanned image data. The control unit obtains information on whether a page is an inspection target from a user terminal operated by a user or from the print server 10. It may also obtain this information from the print inspection device 12.

[0033] The printed matter inspection device 12 acquires reference image data from the print server 10 and scanned image data from the printing device 14, and compares both sets of image data for pages set as inspection targets among all pages making up the print job to detect printing abnormalities. The printed matter inspection device 12 also generates dummy image data as appropriate for pages set as non-inspection targets among all pages making up the print job. The printed matter inspection device 12 displays the inspection results on a display device to notify the user.

[0034] 2 shows a functional block diagram of the printed matter inspection device 12. The printed matter inspection device 12 includes, as functional blocks, a reference image input unit 16, a scanned image input unit 18, a page configuration management unit 20, an inspection result comparison unit 22, and an inspection result display unit 24.

[0035] The reference image input unit 16 inputs reference image data created by the print server 10. The reference image input unit 16 may generate reference image data using job data from the print server 10, i.e., the reference image data from the rasterization results of the job. The reference image data may be generated by either the print server 10 or the print inspection device 12.

[0036] The scanned image input unit 18 inputs scanned image data obtained by scanning with the built-in scanner of the printing device 14 .

[0037] The page configuration management unit 20 manages information about each page that constitutes a job, whether each page is subject to inspection, and the results of inspection of each page that is subject to inspection.

[0038] The inspection result comparison unit 22 compares the reference image and scanned image of each page to determine whether there are any abnormalities in the print results from the printing device 14. Abnormalities in the print results include print stains and printing defects. The inspection result comparison unit 22 notifies the page configuration management unit 20 of the inspection results and supplies the reference image data and scanned image data to the inspection result display unit 24.

[0039] The inspection result display unit 24 receives data from the page configuration management unit 20, i.e., page configuration data and inspection result data, and uses these data to display and output the inspection results. Specifically, the inspection result display unit 24 displays the scanned image of each page, or both the reference image and the scanned image, based on the page configuration data of the job. If the inspection results indicate a printing abnormality, the area on the scanned image where the abnormality was detected is highlighted to display it in a form that is easy for the user to see. The highlighting may be, for example, by indicating the area where the abnormality was detected with an arrow, by displaying the area where the abnormality was detected in a specific color, or by surrounding the area where the abnormality was detected with a specific shape or line type, but is not limited thereto.

[0040] 3 shows a configuration block diagram of the printed matter inspection device 12. The printed matter inspection device 12 is composed of one or more computers, and includes one or more CPUs 12b, ROM 12c, RAM 12d, communication interfaces (I / F) 12e, display devices 12f, and storage devices 12g.

[0041] One or more CPUs 12b read out programs stored in the ROM 12c or the storage device 12g and use the RAM 12d as a working memory to implement various functions. The CPU 12b implements the page configuration management unit 20 and the inspection result comparison unit 22 shown in FIG.

[0042] The communication I / F 12e receives reference image data supplied from the print server 10, and also receives scanned image data supplied from the printing device 14. The communication I / F 12e outputs the received reference image data and scanned image data to the CPU 12b.

[0043] The display device 12f is configured with a display such as a CRT, LCD, or organic EL display, and displays the page composition inspection results from the CPU 12b as well as the reference image and the scanned image. The display device 12f realizes the inspection result display unit 24 in FIG. 2.

[0044] The storage device 12g is configured with a non-volatile memory such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or an SSD (Solid State Drive), etc. The storage device 12g stores various image data in addition to storing programs.

[0045] The processor in this embodiment refers to a processor in a broad sense, and includes general-purpose processors (e.g., CPU Central Processing Unit, etc.) and dedicated processors (e.g., GPU Graphics Processing Unit, ASIC Application Specific Integrated Circuit, FPGA Field Programmable Gate Array, programmable logic device, etc.).

[0046] Furthermore, the operations of the processors may not only be performed by a single processor, but may also be performed by multiple processors located at physically separate locations working together. The order of the operations of the processors may also be changed as appropriate.

[0047] The basic operation of the printed matter inspection device 12 of this embodiment is to compare the reference image from the print server 10, i.e., the reference image that serves as the inspection standard created from the rasterization result of the job, with the scanned image obtained by scanning the printed matter printed by the printing device 14 with the built-in scanner, to inspect the printed matter for abnormalities such as printing stains, and display the inspection results.

[0048] However, not all pages constituting a job output by the printing device 14 are subject to inspection, and there are pages that are not subject to inspection in the following cases.

[0049] (1) When the user excludes the page to be printed from inspection This is because, on pages that use preprinted paper, a preprinted image that is not included in the reference image may be recorded in the scanned image, which may result in false detection.

[0050] Also, in the case of pages using paper that has an intentionally applied paper pattern, such as embossed paper, the paper pattern may be recorded in the scanned image, which may result in false detection.

[0051] Also, there are cases where the user intentionally excludes pages that are determined to be unimportant in terms of the job configuration from the inspection target.

[0052] (2) When a blank page that is not printed is inserted due to the job configuration This is because blank pages for sorting purposes that are not printed are inserted at the end of job copies, etc.

[0053] Also, a recovery sheet may be inserted when a paper jam occurs.

[0054] Also, in double-sided printing, the back side will be blank because the page configuration is odd numbered.

[0055] In such cases, if the inspection results are displayed only for the pages that were actually inspected, the page structure and number of pages in the inspection results will not match the actually output printout, making it difficult for the user to identify the target pages of the actual printout even when visually viewing the displayed inspection results.

[0056] FIG. 4 shows a schematic diagram of the case where inspection results are displayed for only the pages that were actually inspected. FIG. 4(a) shows a schematic diagram of an actual printout output from the printing device 14. For example, assume that a job consists of six pages, from page 1 to page 6, with page 1 being a blank page with no printing, and pages 2 to 6 being printed pages, but page 4 being embossed paper and page 5 having printing stains. In the figure, the printing stains on page 5 are indicated by a "·" at the bottom left of page 5.

[0057] 4(b) shows a schematic diagram of a reference image created from the rasterization result of a job. There is no reference image for the first page, but there is a reference image for each of the second to sixth pages.

[0058] FIG. 4(c) shows a schematic representation of the inspection results for only the pages that were actually inspected. Because page 1 is blank and page 4 is embossed paper, they are excluded from the inspection target. Pages 2, 3, 5, and 6 are the pages that were actually inspected, and the inspection results for these pages are displayed. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 4(c), the inspection results for a total of four pages are displayed, and the inspection result indicates that there is a print stain on the third page (corresponding to page 5 in the actual printed matter). In the figure, the print stain "·" is enclosed in a square in the lower left corner of page 3, indicating the presence of the print stain. A user viewing this inspection result can confirm that there is a print stain on page 3 of the four pages, but this alone does not allow them to determine which page of the actual printed matter output from the printing device 14 has the print stain.

[0059] Therefore, the printed matter inspection device 12 of this embodiment takes into account that not all pages that make up a job output by the printing device 14 are subject to inspection, and that there are pages that are not subject to inspection, and even if there are pages that are not subject to inspection, by displaying the inspection results with the same page configuration as the actual printed matter, the user can easily identify the page on which an abnormality occurred in the actual printed matter.

[0060] Fig. 5 shows a schematic diagram of an actual printout, a reference image, and a scanned image in this embodiment. Fig. 5(a) shows the actual printout, Fig. 5(b) shows the reference image, and Fig. 5(c) shows the scanned image, which are basically the same as the printout, reference image, and scanned image shown in Fig. 4(a) to Fig. 4(c).

[0061] That is, as shown in Figure 5(a), the actual printout consists of a total of six pages, from page 1 to page 6, with page 1 being a blank page. Because it is a blank page, there is no reference image corresponding to page 1, that is, a reference image generated from the rasterization results of the job, as shown in Figure 5(b). Also, because it is a blank page, it is set outside the scope of inspection, and there is no scanned image corresponding to page 1, as shown in Figure 5(c).

[0062] The second page of the actual printout is the printed page, and as shown in Figure 5(b), there is a reference image corresponding to the second page. Also, as shown in Figure 5(c), there is a scanned image corresponding to the second page.

[0063] The third page of the actual printout is the printed page, and as shown in Figure 5(b), there is a reference image corresponding to the third page. Also, as shown in Figure 5(c), there is a scanned image corresponding to the third page.

[0064] The fourth page of the actual printout is printed on embossed paper, and as shown in Fig. 5(b), there is a reference image corresponding to page 4. On the other hand, because it is printed on embossed paper, the embossed paper pattern may be recorded in the scanned image, which could cause a false positive, so it is set as an exception to the inspection target and is not scanned by the built-in scanner of the printing device 14, and as shown in Fig. 5(c), there is no scanned image corresponding to page 4.

[0065] The fifth page of the actual printout is the printed page, and there is a reference image corresponding to the fifth page, as shown in Figure 5(b). There is also a scanned image corresponding to the fifth page, as shown in Figure 5(c). This fifth page has a print stain, as indicated by the "·" in the lower left.

[0066] The sixth page of the actual printout is the printed page, and as shown in Figure 5(b), there is a reference image corresponding to the sixth page. Also, as shown in Figure 5(c), there is a scanned image corresponding to the sixth page.

[0067] In such an event, the inspection result display unit 24 of the print inspection device 12 displays the inspection results as follows.

[0068] The first page is a blank page, and since neither a reference image nor a scanned image exists, a dummy image is displayed in the reference image, and a dummy image is displayed in the scanned image. Also, since the first page is set as an out-of-inspection page and no actual inspection has been performed, a symbolic figure (icon) indicating that the page is out-of-inspection is displayed in the dummy image. The dummy image and the icon indicating that the page is out-of-inspection are generated by the page configuration management unit 20 based on the fact that the first page is out-of-inspection, and are supplied to the inspection result display unit 24.

[0069] The second page is the page to be inspected, and since both the reference image and the scanned image exist, the reference image and the scanned image are displayed side by side so that their correspondence can be seen. Also, since no abnormalities are detected on the second page, no highlighting is done to indicate an abnormality.

[0070] The third page is the page to be inspected, and since both the reference image and the scanned image exist, the reference image and the scanned image are displayed side by side so that their correspondence can be seen. Also, since no abnormalities are detected on the third page, no highlighting is done to indicate an abnormality.

[0071] The fourth page is printed on embossed paper, and since there is a rasterization result for the job, there is a reference image using the rasterization result. Furthermore, since it is not subject to inspection, there is no scanned image. Therefore, the reference image is displayed, and in place of the scanned image, the reference image is displayed in parallel so that the correspondence between them can be seen. Furthermore, although the reference image is displayed in place of the actual scanned image, an icon indicating that it is not subject to inspection is displayed on the reference image used as a substitute for the scanned image.

[0072] The fifth page is the page to be inspected, and since both the reference image and the scanned image exist, the reference image and the scanned image are displayed side by side so that their correspondence can be seen. In addition, an abnormality is detected on the fifth page, so the area where the abnormality is detected is highlighted.

[0073] Page 6 is the page to be inspected, and since both the reference image and the scanned image exist, the reference image and the scanned image are displayed side by side so that their correspondence can be seen. Also, since no abnormalities are detected on page 6, it is not highlighted to indicate an abnormality.

[0074] Fig. 6 shows an example of an inspection result screen displayed on the display device 12f of the printed matter inspection device 12. Corresponding to Fig. 5, Fig. 6(b) shows the reference image and Fig. 6(c) shows the scanned image. For pages 1 to 6, the reference image and the scanned image are displayed side by side in a corresponding manner.

[0075] On the first page (shown as page 1 in the figure), dummy images are displayed for both the reference image and the scanned image. In the figure, the dummy image is a blank dummy image to correspond to the fact that it is a blank page. In addition, an icon 30 indicating that the dummy image is not subject to inspection is superimposed on the dummy image of the scanned image.

[0076] The second, third, and sixth pages are the inspection targets and no abnormalities have been detected, so the reference image and the scanned image are displayed side by side.

[0077] The fourth page is not subject to inspection, and although a reference image exists, no scanned image exists. Therefore, the reference image and the reference image substituted for the scanned image are displayed side by side. The reference image substituted for the scanned image functions as a dummy image for the scanned image. An icon 30 indicating that the page is not subject to inspection is superimposed on the dummy image for the scanned image.

[0078] The fifth page is the subject of inspection and an abnormality has been detected, so the reference image and the scanned image are displayed side by side, and the area in the scanned image where the abnormality was detected is highlighted. In the figure, the area where the abnormality was detected is highlighted by enclosing it in a rectangular area 32.

[0079] The user can easily understand the correspondence between the actual printed matter and the inspection results by visually checking the screen in Fig. 6. That is, by visually checking icon 30, the user can immediately understand that pages 1 and 4 have been set as excluded from inspection, that pages 2, 3, and 6 have no printing abnormalities, and that page 5 does have an abnormality.

[0080] Note that while pages 1 to 6 are displayed vertically in Fig. 6, it goes without saying that pages 1 to 6 may also be displayed horizontally. Also, while the reference image and scanned image are displayed side by side in Fig. 6, the reference image and scanned image may be positioned at fixed positions and associated with each other using any line type, such as a dashed line or an arrow.

[0081] 7 shows a processing flowchart of this embodiment, which is realized by the CPU 12b of the print inspection device 12 reading and executing a program.

[0082] First, the CPU 12b acquires configuration information of all pages of the job from the print server 10 (S101). Specifically, the CPU 12b acquires rasterized data of each page constituting the job, information on whether it is a blank page, and information on whether each page is an inspection target.

[0083] Next, the pages to be processed are set sequentially starting from the first page of all pages that make up the job, and the inspection results for the next page are obtained (S102). Note that if the page to be processed is the first page of all pages and its inspection results have not been obtained, the inspection results for that first page are obtained. If no inspection results exist, null data is used.

[0084] Then, it is determined whether the page to be processed is a page to be inspected (S103). If the page to be processed is a page to be inspected, that is, if the page has not been set by the user as a page to be excluded from inspection (YES in S103), both a reference image generated from the rasterization result and a scanned image obtained by scanning with the built-in scanner of the printing device 14 are present, so the reference image is displayed (S104) and the scanned image is displayed in parallel in correspondence with the reference image (S105).

[0085] Next, it is determined whether or not there is an abnormality (NG) in the inspection result of the page to be processed (S106). If there is no abnormality (NO in S106), it is determined whether or not the display of all pages that make up the job has been completed (S114). If the display of all pages has not been completed (NO in S114), the process proceeds to S102 to obtain the inspection result of the next page. Furthermore, if there is an abnormality (YES in S106), the area where the abnormality was detected is highlighted by enclosing it in a rectangular area (S107). Then, the process proceeds to S114.

[0086] On the other hand, if the page to be processed is not a page to be inspected, that is, if the user has set it as a page not to be inspected (NO in S103), it is next determined whether the page to be processed is a blank page (S108). Whether the page to be processed is a blank page can be determined by whether a rasterization result exists. If the page is blank (YES in S108), neither the reference image nor the scanned image exists, so the blank image is displayed as a dummy image of the reference image (S109), and similarly, the blank image is displayed as a dummy image of the scanned image in parallel with the dummy image of the reference image (S110).

[0087] Furthermore, if the page is not blank (NO in S108), a rasterization result exists, so a reference image generated from the rasterization result is displayed (S111), and the reference image is displayed in parallel with the reference image as a dummy image of the scanned image (S112).

[0088] In both the processes of S110 and S112, an icon indicating that the image is not subject to inspection is added to the dummy image as the scanned image and displayed superimposed thereon (S113).Then, the process proceeds to the process of S114.

[0089] A specific explanation will be given below using the schematic diagram of FIG.

[0090] First, assuming that the page to be processed is page 1, since page 1 is a blank page and not subject to inspection, null data is acquired as the inspection result in S102, NO is determined in S103, YES is determined in S108, and blank images are displayed as the reference image and dummy images of the scanned image in S109 and S110. Also, icon 30 is displayed on the dummy image of the scanned image in S113.

[0091] If the pages to be processed are the second and third pages, the inspection results for these pages are acquired in S102, a YES determination is made in S103, and the reference image and scanned image are displayed in S104 and S105. Then, a NO determination is made in S106, and a NO determination is made in S114, and the process proceeds to S102.

[0092] When the page to be processed is the fourth page, null data is acquired as the inspection result in S102, a NO determination is made in S103, a NO determination is made in S108, the reference image is displayed in S111, and a dummy image of the reference image is displayed as the scanned image in S112. Also, an icon 30 is displayed on the dummy image of the scanned image in S113.

[0093] If the page to be processed is the fifth page, the determination is YES in S103 and YES in S106, and the rectangular area 32 is displayed in the abnormality detection area of ​​the scanned image in S107.

[0094] When the page to be processed is the sixth page, the determination is YES in S103, NO in S106, and YES in S114, and the process ends.

[0095] In this way, if the page to be processed is subject to inspection, the reference image and scanned image are displayed as is, and if the page to be processed is not subject to inspection, a dummy image that substitutes for the scanned image is displayed since there is no scanned image, and an icon indicating that it is not subject to inspection is displayed, so the user can easily recognize the correspondence between the actual printed matter and the inspection results.

[0096] Although the embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to this and various modifications are possible. Modifications will be described below.

[0097] <First Modification> In the embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6, the reference image and the scanned image are displayed side by side for each page of all pages that make up the job, but it is also possible to display only the scanned image without displaying the reference image for each page.

[0098] 8 shows an example of the screen of the display device 12f in this first modified example. Only scanned images are displayed for each page. Even in this case, dummy images are displayed as substitutes for scanned images on the first and fourth pages, which are not subject to inspection, so it is easy to recognize that an abnormality exists on the fifth page.

[0099] <Second Modification> In the embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6, on the fourth page, which is not the page to be inspected, a dummy image of the reference image is displayed in parallel as a substitute for the scanned image, but in order to omit the process of generating the reference image, a blank dummy image may be displayed as on the first page.

[0100] Fig. 9 shows an example of a screen of the display device 12f in this second modified example. The difference from Fig. 6 is the scanned image of the fourth page, where a blank dummy image is displayed as the scanned image.

[0101] In this case, the reference image and the scanned image will be different, but the presence of icon 30 superimposed on the scanned image will indicate that the fourth page is not to be inspected, so the user will not misunderstand.

[0102] <Third Modification> 6, when the first page is blank, a blank dummy image is displayed alongside both the reference image and the scanned image, but the paper inserted as the blank page may actually be colored paper to make it stand out as a sorting sheet. Therefore, the attributes of the paper feed tray into which the blank page has been inserted are acquired from the print server 10 or the printing device 14, and the color of the paper in that paper feed tray is acquired and reflected in the dummy image, making the color of the dummy image the same as the color of the paper, thereby making the display of the inspection results closer to the actual printed matter.

[0103] <Fourth Modification> 6, when the first page is blank, a blank dummy image is displayed alongside the reference image and the scanned image, but the paper inserted as the blank page may actually be a preprinted sheet printed in advance on a printing device separate from the printing device 14 to make it stand out as a sorting sheet. Therefore, by acquiring image data of the preprinted sheet from the print server 10 and reflecting the image data in the dummy image, the display of the inspection results can be made to resemble the actual printed matter.

[0104] Fig. 10 shows an example of the screen of the display device 12f in this fourth modified example. The difference from Fig. 6 is that the reference image and scanned image of the first page are displayed as a dummy image having preprint image data.

[0105] In this case, the presence of the icon 30 superimposed on the scanned image indicates that the first page is not to be inspected, and therefore the user will not misunderstand.

[0106] <Fifth Modification> In the embodiment, when a dummy image is created and displayed, it may be displayed in a specific display form that indicates that it is a dummy image, for example, by displaying the dummy image in gray.

[0107] 11 shows an example of the screen of the display device 12f in this fifth modified example. The reference image and scanned image of the first page and the scanned image of the fourth page are dummy images, but these images are displayed in gray to indicate that they are dummy images.

[0108] <Sixth Modification> In the embodiment, when a dummy image is created and displayed, the user may be able to select the display format indicating that the image is a dummy image as appropriate. For example, the user may operate the print inspection device 12 to select and set the display format of the dummy image from a display menu. The display menu may be, for example, "Blank Page" Paper color "Preprint image" "Grayed out" "others" etc. will be displayed.

[0109] Furthermore, the shape of the icon 30 indicating that the area is not subject to inspection or the form in which the area in which an abnormality is detected is highlighted may also be selected by the user as appropriate.

[0110] <Seventh Modification> In the embodiment, blank pages and embossed pages are set as pages that are not subject to inspection among all pages that make up a job. However, specific pages may also be set as pages that are not subject to inspection. For example, in addition to blank pages and embossed pages, pages that are known to cause some kind of abnormality but are not considered to be problematic may also be set as pages that are not subject to inspection. For such pages, a dummy image is displayed instead of the scanned image, and an icon 30 is displayed to indicate that the page is not subject to inspection. [Explanation of symbols]

[0111] 10 print server, 12 print inspection device, 14 printing device, 16 reference image input unit, 18 scanned image input unit, 20 page configuration management unit, 22 inspection result comparison unit, 24 inspection result display unit.

Claims

1. a processor for inspecting the quality of the print; A display device; The processor reads and executes a program, Inspecting a page to be inspected by comparing a scanned image obtained by scanning a printout of the page to be inspected among the multiple pages constituting the job with a reference image created using the rasterized data of the page to be inspected; When displaying the inspection result on the display device, the scanned image is displayed for the page that is the inspection target, and a dummy page that is a substitute for the scanned image and information indicating that the page is not the inspection target are displayed for the page that is not the inspection target. Print inspection system.

2. the dummy page includes an image created using rasterized data of the page not to be inspected; The print inspection system of claim 1 .

3. The dummy page is a blank page. The print inspection system of claim 1 .

4. the dummy page is a page having the same color as the paper of the page not to be inspected; The print inspection system of claim 1 .

5. the dummy page includes a preprint image; The print inspection system of claim 1 .

6. The processor: For the page to be inspected, the reference image and the scanned image are displayed as a pair, and for the page not to be inspected, the reference image and the dummy page are displayed as a pair of the scanned image. The print inspection system according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

7. the processor displays a symbolic graphic as information indicating that the object is not subject to inspection. The print inspection system according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

8. the processor displays the dummy page in gray as information indicating that the dummy page is not subject to inspection. The print inspection system according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

9. The processor further comprises: Input operation instructions from the user, changing the display form of the dummy page in response to the operation instruction; The print inspection system according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

10. On the computer, a step of comparing a scanned image obtained by scanning a printout of a page to be inspected among a plurality of pages constituting a job with a reference image created using rasterized data of the page to be inspected; When displaying the inspection result on a display device, the scanned image is displayed for the page that is the inspection target, and a dummy page that is a substitute for the scanned image and information indicating that the page is not the inspection target are displayed for the page that is not the inspection target; A program that executes the following.

Images